Serendipity Grants

Dwindling Traditions Grant

About

There is a multitude of art and craft forms, folk traditions and festivals that have been steadily declining for many decades and are now almost on the verge of disappearing completely.
The increasedly insular outlook and attitude of the majority of the subcontinent is also posing a new threat to many traditional practices that belong to marginalised faiths and communites. Due to the accelerated urbanisation in the rural parts of India, the circumstances are even worse for the agnostic folk traditions in these areas.
 
The Dwindling Tradition Grant seeks to support the documentation of these dwindling artforms, festivals, folk traditions in an effort to develop and digitize an archive of said artforms, festivals, traditions. The two winning grantees will be awarded a grant of upto INR 2.5 lakhs each to make a documentary film.

INTAKE

2 Grantees

OUTCOME

  • A documentary film.
  • Audio in English with subtitles in the local language OR audio in the local language with subtitles in English.
  • Serendipity Arts will facilitate the screening of the film upon its completion.
  • The screening will be accompanied by a discussion between the filmmaker(s) and the local audience.
  • The film will be made available for viewing on our foundation website or a dedicated online platform for a limited period of time.
  • Possibility of the subject of the documentary film being showcased at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2023 in the form of a performance/exhibition/panel discussion. The decision as to whether or not a project will be showcased at the festival will be taken by Serendipity Arts at a later stage and is presently not an assured commitment.

PROVISION

  • The winning grantees will be awarded a sum of up to INR 2.5 lakhs each which can be used for the production of the film (filming; editing; sound; light; translations; equipment rentals); travel for research; documentation/artist fee etc.
  • Certain projects may be considered to be showcased at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2023 in Goa, in which case, a budget will be allocated by Serendipity Arts for the logistics and production.

DELIVERABLES

  • The grantees must submit a project report (upto 1000 words) upon the completion of the film – this can include the film script, compiled field notes, essay etc.
  • The grantees must submit fund utilisation certificates (format to be shared by Serendipity Arts) and supporting bills for the grant amount to Serendipity Arts.
  • In case the project is considered to be showcased at the festival, the grantees will need to submit an exhibition proposal and work within the provided budget.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Age: 25 years and above
  • Applicants can be individuals or collectives but the agreement will be signed with a single applicant or representative.
  • Applicants must be an Indian national residing in India. In the case of a collaboration, atleast one of the collaborators should be an Indian national residing in India.
  • Applicant must hold an Indian bank account.
  • Projects that have been previously presented as a research paper, symposium, or photo exhibition are eligible for submission.
  • The applicant should not have received any funding previously for the same project. If the proposed project has received funding in the past, please shoot us an email ([email protected]) for further discussion. The subject of the email should mention ‘Dwindling Tradition Grant’. 
  • The proposed film should focus on a single subject rather than a generic overview of declining arts.
  • A background or prior experience in research/filmmaking/anthropology/cultural criticism is preferred but not mandatory.

Timeline and Selection

  • The deadline for submitting applications is 11:59 pm on May 22, 2023.
  • The grantees will be selected by an internal jury.
  • If necessary, interviews with shortlisted candidates will be conducted.
  • The names of the winning grantees shall be announced by the end of May.

Application Requirements

  1. Completed application form with basic contact information.
  2. A brief biography and CV including details of educational background and relevant work experience (upto 200 words each).
  3. Project proposal introducing the project (upto 500 words) along with supporting material for the project:
    • Supporting material could include concept storyboard, images (if available), video links (if available), research papers etc.
    • Max upload limit – 15 mb
    • A timeline of the execution of the proposed project.
  1. A statement on how this grant will contribute to your project and the larger context (upto 300 words).
  2. A detailed break-up of the proposed budget.
  3. A portfolio of the applicant’s past/present practice which can include written material, photographs, videos or other forms of documentation.

Terms & Conditions

  • After the selection, the winning grantees shall sign an agreement with Serendipity Arts to complete the selection process.
  • The intellectual property rights for the videos and any other media related to this grant or incidental hereto, shall be jointly vested in the grantee and Serendipity Arts for the seamless and undisputed screening of the video. The terms of such screening shall be mutually agreed upon by the grantee and Serendipity Arts.
  • Progress reports/WIP to be submitted every month, post receiving the grant.
  • The grant must be availed within 12 months of receiving it.
  • The grant will be released in three instalments – 1st upon signing the agreement; 2nd and 3rd upon the submission of reports and fund utilisation certificates.
  • The grant amount will be subject to 10% TDS deduction and GST deduction (if the applicant holds a GST-registered account).
  • Due credits to be given to Serendipity Arts wherever the Grant Project is presented or screened.

GRANTEE

Amogh Sahaje

Amogh Sahaje completed his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from IISc Bangalore and chose to work with rural cultures and artforms after that. He has spent over 5 years living in a forest village with the Pawara tribe in the Satpura mountain range. Over this period, Amogh has documented their way of life, their language, ethnic medicine, and folktales. He also took a particular interest in and recreated some of their extinct handicrafts and the musical instrument Gangool. Amogh is regularly invited as Guest Lecturer to present his insights on adivasi cultural practices.

Santasil Mallik

Santasil Mallik is a writer, media artist, and Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University. His practice-oriented research focuses on curatorial experiments involving documentary photography, videography criticism, and archival resources. He has exhibited his moving image experiments and video art on platforms like the VideoEx Film Festival, Cineteca Nacional, the Wrong Biennale, etc. Currently, he is working on a speculative fiction video essay and a mid-length documentary based in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh.

Hyash Tanmoy

Hyash Tanmoy looks for meditative resilience through undefined art forms lying at the intersection of culture, post-media, and technology. They’ve been recognised by global platforms such as Berlinale Talents ’21, Locarno Industry Academy ’21, Bifan ’21, Ars Electronica ’21-’22, Kyoto Filmmakers’ Lab ’22, Emerging Curators Lab ’22, etc. Their works have also been awarded, showcased, and critically acclaimed in media festivals and exhibition spaces around the world. Hyash is searching for a language of reciprocation to make the experience of art inclusive for everyone.

FAQS

  • I have already made a short film with a grant that I received last year. I want to use the Dwindling Tradition Grant to develop the film further. Am I eligible to apply?
    No, you are not eligible to apply. If you have received a grant in the past for the project you are proposing, there should be a minimum gap of 2 years from the date of the open call of the Dwindling Tradition Grant (i.e. before April 2021). 
  • If I currently reside in India but am not an Indian citizen, can I apply?
    If you have been residing in India for at least 5 years, but are not an Indian citizen, you are eligible to apply. If you do not own an Indian bank account, you will have to apply in collaboration with someone who does.
  • If I have an Indian bank account but do not currently reside in India, can I apply?
    Ideally, the applicant must be residing in India. But if you are an Indian bank account holder who is currently not residing in India, you will have to make arrangements to be present for the screening/exhibition/symposium in India at your own cost.
  • I have two separate projects that I would like to propose. Can I apply twice?
    If you are proposing one project in an individual capacity, and another project in collaboration with someone else, then yes, you can apply twice. But, as an individual applicant, you cannot submit more than one application.
  • Am I eligible to apply if I have no formal training in film making? 
    Yes, you are eligible.
  • I am a practitioner of an artform that can be considered to be on the decline. Can I apply?
    The outcome of this particular grant is a documentary film. If you intend to use the grant to make a film on your community by yourself or in collaboration with someone then yes, you can apply.
  • If I have a film that I want to propose, but may not be able to finish the film in 12 months as I have other commitments, can I still apply?
    The outcome of the grant needs to be completed within 12 months of winning the grant i.e. from the date on the contract.
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